Criminal Castle
by SuperWhoCaskettLock
Summary: Three bodies, no leads. New York City's best detectives are growing annoyed as their case becomes colder and colder. It seems hopeless, until a team called the BAU decides to help.


**A/N: I'm not finished Criminal Minds - so if the timelines don't mix properly, don't get angry with me. **

Richard Castle stared as his TV screen blankly, completely unfocused. He was supposed to be writing, but he'd lost his focus and began watching TV. Eventually, the writer lost focus on that as well, and was instead lost in his own world. He was imagining the sweetest of scenarios involving his girlfriend, Kate, himself, and some other things I really shouldn't mention.

His phone rang and he stared at it for a moment, taking time to break himself out of his thoughts. He finally answered after a few rings, hearing an irritated huff from the woman on the other side of the phone. He didn't answer with his name, still a bit out of it, and instead just grinned. He knew what she was about to say.

"There's been a murder," Detective Kate Beckett said on the other side of the phone line, pausing to allow Rick a moment to fully awaken. She recited the address and he promised to be there in 20 minutes. He nearly said something else, but he managed to hold it in and instead ended the conversation with a "see you soon".

Meanwhile, states away, Spencer Reid began to pack his things. The day was coming to a close, and no new cases had thankfully popped up. As Derek Morgan walked by his desk to ask JJ what she was doing on their night off; Spencer tucked a book into his bag and zipped it close.

"And what are you doing, Reid?" Derek said as he turned to face the younger boy. He was sitting on JJ's desk with his arms crossed and a grin on his face.

"I'm going home and relaxing. I don't have plans," Reid said with a shrug. Derek laughed kindly and shook his head.

"We need to get you out of the house," he said as he slipped off the desk and patted Reid on the shoulder.

"That'll have to wait," a familiar voice said from the door. Emily Prentiss smiled sadly at the faces of her team, who looked at her knowingly. "We've got a case."

They groaned but followed her into the meeting room, where pictures and information was set up. Once every member of the team was settled, including Aaron Hotchner, who'd arrived moments after everyone else; Emily began her introduction.

"New York City, three murders over the past month. Each body's been found in the fetal position, free of any evidence. No sign of struggle. They were each cooperate officials, big names in several businesses. The city had their best detectives on the case, but they've come up with nothing so far. The third was found early this morning, he was head of a big-name law office. They want us to come in right now."

The team nodded sadly, not in the mood for a question-and-answer session.

Hours later in New York, Kate Beckett was sitting at her desk, resisting the urge to slap her boyfriend slash partner, Rick Castle.

Rick was playing with a slinky he'd insisted on buying while they were doing an interview in a store downtown. That was their last lead, and it had been a dead end. Kate had been sitting at her desk for the past hour and a half, shifting through papers and staring at the murder board, and Rick had been playing with the slinky and occasionally going into a ramble she completely ignored.

Rick turned the slinky and watched it slink out of his hand, landing on the floor perfectly. Amused, he allowed it to fall several more times. Kate was sure if there were stairs next to her desk, he'd be on them right now, acting like a child and amusing himself for several more hours. Kate bit her tongue to keep from yelling at him and tried her best to focus on the case. It had been a month spent chasing down this one specific killer, and no leads had proved useful. It was beginning to piss off Kate, and she was growing irritable.

"Castle," she finally said after a while, turning to glare at him. "Do you mind? I'm trying to work here!"

"We've got no leads," Rick said, putting down the slinkly and leaning towards her. "Can we please go out for a drink or something? We've not getting any breaks tonight, and you know it. I say we call it a night."

"I'm with ya," Javier Esposito said from a desk over, waving his arms a bit. "Old Haunt sounds good."

Rick pointed at him and grinned, turning his attention back to Kate after a few seconds. She was exchanging looks with Kevin Ryan, who didn't want to give up on the case either, even if it was only just for the night.

"Castle, we have a case to do," Kate insisted. Earlier in the day, she'd spoken to the child of the third victim, and having no leads was making her feel like a failure. Rick fell back in his seat, accepting his fate, and played with his slinky again. On the third drop, an unfamiliar group walked into the precint.

Captain Gates approached the team of four detectives, gesturing towards the tired-looking newcomers. "Team, this is the BAU. They'll be assisting you on this case."

"Will all due respect, sir," Kate said as she stood up and faced her boss. "I don't think we need help from the Behavorial Anaylsis Unit."

"Seems like you do," Spencer Reid said from the back as he cast a glance towards the murder board. Kate began to glare, and Rick exchanged a look with the two detectives behind him.

"They're assisting with the case," Gates said with a glare, her tone suggesting that the matter was closed. Kate clenched her jaw but finally nodded.

"Welcome to the 12th precint," she told the frontman, Aaron Hotchner. "Kate Beckett. This is Javier Esposito.." Espo nodded; ".. Kevin Ryan.." Ryan raised a hand; ".. and -"

"Richard Castle," Rick said, standing up and offering his hand and a a dazzling smile. Aaron took it with hesitation.

"The novelist?" A voice said from the back, and Spencer Reid stepped into view once again.

"The one and only," Rick replied with a cocky smile.

"We don't allow civilians on cases," Aaron said. Kate stood again, standing next to Rick.

"He's my partner. And need I remind you, this is _my _case, not yours," she said simply, her voice dangerously calm. Rick took a small step back and Aaron nodded after a moment.

"Aaron Hotchner," he said, stepping aside and pointing to the members of his team as he recited their names. "Emily Prentiss, Jennifer Jarreau, Spencer Reid, Derek Morgan, and David Rossi. We also have Penelope Garcia, our technical anaylist."

Kate nodded at all of them and gestured to the murder board, stepping past a relieved Castle. "This is what we have so far," she said simply.

"Not much," Emily pointed out, to which Kate looked at her with the tiniest hint of a glare. She knew that, of course, she didn't need them all to point out that this case was going nowhere. She _knew_ that.

"It's late, maybe we should start in the morning," Rick said, determined to get Kate home so she could relax and free herself of stress. Aaron, to his surprise, nodded.

"We'll just get set up," he said. "We'll begin working it in the morning."


End file.
